Credit-account file.



J. B. DUNGAN.

CREDIT ACCOUNT FILE.

APPLIOATION FILED SEPT. 20, 1912.

INVENTOR- a, (""3 Q I 2 SHEBTS-SEEBT 1.

Arm RNLY Patented Apr. 15, 1913.

WITNESSES;

J. E. DUNGAN.

CREDIT ACCOUNT FILE.

APPLICATION FILED snrmzo, 1912.

1 ,@58,951 Patented Apr. 15, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Wrmezsses: 1 gwzri n ATTDRYQEY.

UNITED-STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN E. DYING-AN, OF HARBISVILLE, OHIO.

CREDIT-ACCOUN '1 FILE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 20, 1912. Serial No. 721,401.

To all whom, z't may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN E. DUNGAN, a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of Harrisville, county of Harrison, and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Credit- Account'Files, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to credit account files, and more particularly to a case or cabinet for the systematic keeping of credit accounts. 1 I

The primary object of the invention is to provide an improvedapparatus for facilitating the keeping and handling of the duplicate sales-slips commonly employed in mercantile houses.

A further object is to provide a filing device wherein a large number of receptacles or slip containers are so arranged as to economize space and at the same time 'afi'ord ready and convenient access thereto.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the character mentioned in which the arrangement of the receptacles or containers issuch that any-one thereof tion; Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line' may be instantly moved from its normal position to a position atlording convenient and ready access thereto, remaining in the lastnamed position until replaced, thus indicating that it is in use and preventing to a large extent mistakes in filing slips and in returning slips to their places. And a still further object of the invention is to provide a receptacle which remains closed when occupying normal position and which opens automatically, exposing its contents. when it is actuated to move to working position.

\Vith these and various other objects in view, the invention resides in the features of construction, arrangement of parts and combinations of elements which will hereinafter be fully described, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a front elevation of the inven tion, one of the receptacles being shown in lowered, working position Fig. 2 is a top plan view of a broken" portion of the same, also showing a receptacle in lowered posi- 3-3, Fig. 1; Fig.4 is an enlarged broken section taken on the irregular broken line 4-4, Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail perspective view illustrating the hinge connection for the filing receptacles and the shock-absorbingspringemployed with each reoeptacle; and Fig, 6 is an enlarged detail perspective view of an open receptacle.

Referringto said drawings fin which like designating characters distinguish corresponding parts throughout the several views1 indicates a casing or cabinet which may be of any appropriate form for containing the mechanism comprising the invention. Located within said casing is a plurali y of Patented Apr. 15, 1913.

superposed horizontal rows or tiers of filing receptacles, generally designated by the nu-- meral 2, which normally stand on end in more or less closely fitted vertical positlons, presenting their rear edges forward. Said rows or tiers are arranged in step ed relation-that is, each superposed row is is-- posed rearward of the next row therebelow, as is clearly shown in Fig. 3. The receptacles of each row are separately pivoted,as by hinges 3, upon a horizontally disposed rod 4 which has its ends suitably mounted, as in notches: or recesses 5 provided in upwardly and rearwardly inclined bars 6 located within the 'casing at opposite sides. hinges 3 are fixed upon the front edges of the lower ends of the receptacles as the oc- Said cupy their normal upright positions. a erving as an auxiliary support for the receptacles of each row is a horizontal rod 7 upon which the said lower ends of the receptacles rest at points adjacent to their rear edges,

said rods 7 having their opposite ends mounted. in substantially upright shift-bars 8 which are adapted to be elevated. or shifted lengthwise, through suitable keepers or guides, as 9 and 10. arranged at appropriate points, as on.the sides of the casing. The lower ends of said shift-bars are supported upon the facesot' a pair of cams 11 which .are eccentrically mounted upon a suitably journaled rod 12 having one end projected an upwardly and forwardly inclined lever 14 whose lower end is pivotally mounted upon the rear end of a substantially horipies upright position is the upper end of zontal lever 15 which is pivoted intermediate its ends upon a suitable support, as 16, and has pivoted upon its front end the lower end of an upright stem 17 which carries a key 18 upon its upper end. As is obvious, depression of one of the. keys 18 will thrust upward the lever 1% associated therewith and accomplish the forward swinging of the receptacle 2 located thereover, said receptacle turning on its hinge and falling upon the inclined upper ends of the receptacles of the row next. below, or, if the tipped-over receptacle be one from the low ermost row, it falls upon an inclined 'rest 19 provided at a suitable point, as shown in Fig. As a means of relieving the shock which would otherwise be incident to the fall of a receptacle when thrust forward in the manner indicated, a suitable spring,

20, is provided for each receptacle, whereby such shock is partially absorbed, said spring being coiled or partially coiled about the rod l. Apertured guide-bars 30 are provided at. suitable points for maintaining the.

levers 14 in properly alinedpositions. Stoppins 31 directed through the levers 14 normally rest upon said bars 30, limiting the downward movement of said levers.

Each receptacle is composed of sheet metal andcomprises a substantially trougln shaped back 21 and side members 22 and 23 hinged, as shown in Fig. (3, to the opposite lateral edges of said back. The member 22 has an inturned flange 24 along the, length of its outer lateral edge, and the member has inturned flanges 25 along the lengths of its ends. Said flanges are of a width corresponding substantially to the thickness of the receptacle when closed; thus, when closed, the receptacle constitutes an inclosure for the sales-slips, accounts, or other records contained therein. 7

As is obvious, when the receptacle occupies its normal position in a row, the sides are closed together and the contents are dis posed upside down; ante, when said receptacle is thrustforward l'rom the row', the side members 22 and 23) naturally fall apart, assuming the open downwardly inclined positions shown in Figs. 1, 2 and ti, exposing the contents in convenient position for examination, in which position removal 01 slips, or filing o'l additional slips, may be readily accomplished. To replace a receptacle, the sides are closed together and the rcccplaclelhrust back into place by hand.

The provision of the two l'olding Hides tor the receptacle all'ords two liling spaces, one of which is adapted to contain a cnstonu-rs sales-slips while the other is adapted to contain the customci'ls account. rccord. Thus the nece ity l'or keeping the account record in a place apart l'rom the sales slips, as lua'ctol'ore, is obviated.

. uilablc retaining clips, as 2t and 27, may

be provided on the inner faces of the mem bers 22 and 23, respectively, as shown in Fig. 6, and a spring clamp 28 is preferably provided on the side member on which the slips are to be held.

\Vhen tilted forward by rotation of the knob 13, each row of receptacles constitutes an inclined support for receptacles dropped from the next row thereabove, as is most clearly illustrated in the upper part of Fig. 3 wherein a dropped receptacle is shown in dotted lines.

- The keys 18 are designed to carry the names of individual customers, thus preventing the loss of time necessitated in searching for a custom rs number, as'when numerals or other designating characters are used, and also eti'ectually guarding against the mistakes common to the use of such characters. Numerals or other designating characters maybe associated with the positions of the various keys, as shown in Fig. 2, said numerals serving to indicate the number of the customers account transferred to some other container or tiling case, as when the customers slips become too numerous to be contained in the filing receptacle of the present device assigned to the acctitnt of such customer.

The keys are arranged in a series of rows, and, in order that each key may be of sutficient length to hear a customer s name, two or more adjacent rows are employed for each row of receptacles, said rows 'ol' keys having staggered relation. as shown in Fig. 2. In the en'ibodimcnt herein illustrated, twenty-five receptacles are contained in each row, and two rows ol keys are employed for manipulating each row of receptacles.

Ilaving thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is--' 1. In an account lilo, a plurality of tiling receptacles arranged in superposed rows having stepped relation, and means l'or selectively thrusting said receptacles l'on ward from said rows, each row constituting a support for receptacles thrust forward from the next above row.

2. In an account tile, a plurality of tiling receptacles arranged in superposed rows having stepped relation, each recepta le having a pivotal mounting. means l'or n'cli|ninarily tipping said rows l'orward and kcvopcrattal means for selectively swing ngsaid rcceptaclcs forward on their mountings.

25. In an account lilc. a plurality of tiling receptacles arranged in superposed rows having stepped relation, vsaid l'ttft'ldtltlt-H embodying laterally swinging sli )conlain ers being disposed on end and presenting their rcar edges forward, and means for selectively thrusting said receptacles l'orward from said rows.

4. In an account lilc, a plurality of tiling receptacles. arranged in edgewise position in superposed rows having offset stepped relation, and means for selectively advancing said receptacles from their normal positions in the rows to reclining positions, wherein they receive support from below.

5. In an account file, a plurality of filing receptacles arranged in edgewise position in superposed rows having offset stepped loirelation, each receptacle having a pivotal mounting, and means for selectively moving said receptacles on their mountings from their normal positions in the rows to reclining positions.

6. In an account file, a plurality of foldable self-opening independently movable filing receptacles arranged in upright edgewise position in superposed rows having offset stepped relation, and key-operated means for selectively advancing said receptacles out of said rows to positions exposing their contents.

7. In an account file, a plurality of filing receptacles arranged in edgewise position in superposed rows having offset stepped relation, each receptacle having a pivotal mounting, and key-operated means for selectively swinging said receptacles from said rows to a position overlying the next row therebelow.

8. In an account file, a plurality of foldable filing receptacles arranged in superposed rows, said receptacles being folded when in position in said rows, and means for selectively moving said receptacles from said rows, said receptacles being adapted to unfold automatically when so moved.

9. In an account file, a plurality of foldable filing receptacles arranged in superposed rows, said receptacles being -folded when in position in said rows, each of said receptacles having a pivotal mounting, and selective means for swinging said receptacles forward on their mountings to posit-ions exposing their contents.

10. In an account file, a plurality of foldable filing receptacles arranged in superposed rows having stepped relation, said receptacles being folded when in position in said rows, and key-operated means for moving said receptacles from said rows into reclining positions wherein they are supported by the receptacles of the next row therebelow.

11. In an account file, a plurality of filing receptacles arranged in upright position and in superposed rows having stepped relation, means for preliminarily tipping said rows forward from their normal upright positions, and means for selectively thrusting said receptacles forward from said rows.

12. In an account'file, a plurality of filing receptacles arranged in upright position and in superposed rows having stepped relation, manually operated shift-bars whereby said rows are caused to assume a forward inclination, and means for selectively thrusting said receptacles forward from said rows.

13. In an account file, a plurality of filing receptacles arranged in upright position and in superposed rows having stepped relation, means for preliminarily tipping said rows forward from their normal upright positions, and means for selectively swinging said receptacles forward from said rows, the downwardly inclined upper surface of each forwardly tipped row constituting a support for receptacles swung from the next row thereabove.

In testimony whereof, I afiii; my signature in presence of two subscribing witnesses. 1i" OHN E. DUNGAN'."

Witnesses H. IQ. DUNLAP, L. D. Morals. 

